Legendary star

Chapter 264 Come on, hurt each other
"Ervin, what do you think about this game now?" On May 2001, 5, in the first game of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and the Lakers, after three quarters, the Spurs and the Lakers tied at 19. .In this game, Popovich and Phil Jackson's strategies are very clear, and they are similar. The Spurs' key defense is O'Neal. The side also used Horace Grant to defend Duncan, O'Neal was on the side to help defend, and the outside core of the two teams, Meng Xu and Kobe, have always been one-on-one, ace against ace, without any cover for the other side. folder.

In this game, the main players of the two teams rarely rotated. In the first three quarters of the game, Meng Xu and Duncan played a full 3 minutes on the Spurs side, while O'Neal and Kobe on the opposite side of the Lakers did not have the slightest rest.After the start of the fourth quarter, the core players of the two teams finally did not play again, but sat on the bench to accumulate energy for the final few minutes of the decisive battle.

"I am now eager to pass these few minutes quickly to see if the two teams will cut each other's core at the last moment of the game." The game between the Spurs and the Lakers is the focus of everyone's attention In the last game against the Mavericks, after Meng Xu was slashed by Nelson at the last moment, many basketball experts and fans are now looking forward to the scene where the Spurs and the Lakers slash each other.

"If such an absurd scene really happens, I think it's time for the league to intervene." Unlike Magic Johnson, who is full of interest, Michaels is now worried. If there is a mutual cut, it will definitely disgust a large number of fans, and it will definitely directly affect the ratings of the next game. For this season's playoffs, not only the NBA, but also the top management of the ABC TV network hope There has been a breakthrough in the ratings. You must know that since Jordan retired, the ratings of the NBA have been declining. If this continues, the NBA will soon drop from the three major sports leagues in North America to the fourth. And this This result is certainly not what the NBA and the ABC television network want to see.

As for this round of the series between the Spurs and the Lakers, when the situation in the semifinals began to become clear, the league had already mobilized almost all resources to create momentum and hype for this round of the matchup of the century. After all, the two teams Gathered, the two strongest insiders in active service, and the two most popular outside rookies, and the crazy duel between Meng Xu and Kobe was constantly brought out for rebroadcasting, creating a great opportunity for the two to face off in the Western Conference Finals. It's a gimmick, but if the Lakers slash Meng Xu and the Spurs slash O'Neal in this round of the series, then all the previous efforts of the league will basically be in vain.

There are even rumors that before the start of the game, the president of the league, David Stern, even personally called the top management and head coaches of the two teams to confirm that there will be no disgusting situations in this game. , but the final result made David Stern unsatisfied, because the two teams, from the chairman to the head coach, were vague and reticent. Ratings can't be confused with David Stern.

In this game, the president of the league David Stern also appeared on the Spurs' home court again, but now David Stern in the box is always pulling a face, even because the game is getting closer to the end , David Stern even twisted his butt a few times in a row, for fear that the game would develop in a direction he did not want. In the end, after the official suspension and the main players of the two teams re-entered the field, David Stern His anxiety also reached its peak. After his assistant handed him a cigar, lit it and took a deep puff, David Stern calmed down a little.

"Boy, it's finally time for you to pay off your debts." O'Neill, who was walking towards the field, now looked at Meng Xu in the distance, with an expression of retribution, even though the head coach repeatedly told him before going on the field , Only after getting his own gesture can he start to cut Meng Xu, but now as long as he thinks about Meng Xu's desperate little eyes, O'Neill's heart is already so happy that he can't control it.And after O'Neal experienced the loss of last season, he practiced his free throws very hard throughout the summer during the Hughes period, and even found Lakers celebrities like Magic Johnson to guide him, although O'Neal is not yet A free throw expert, but compared to the first half of his career, O'Neal has made great progress. In the regular season of this season, O'Neal's free throw percentage has reached 60%, which is an increase of 10 points compared to last season. percentage points, and in the last round of the game, the king also wanted to use the shark to deal with him, but in front of O'Neal's 73% free throw percentage in the entire series, the king died very badly, so now O'Neal can't wait to hope, Bo Povich cut himself again.

"I still want to chop me up. I'll let you guys know why the flowers are so red." Looking at O'Neill's provocative gaze in the distance, Meng Xu also said inwardly, now I'm not afraid of you chopping me up. , and Meng Xu couldn't wait for this kind of gifting of points, and even hoped that the Lakers would start beating him immediately after the referee's whistle blew.

"Coach, do we need to make some arrangements?" On the Spurs' bench, looking at Popovich who was obviously a little anxious, assistant coach Steve Kerr asked from the side, although Meng Xu has been around for the past few days He practiced his free throws wildly, but the effect was not very obvious. After being slashed by Nelson in the semifinals, the Spurs are now very worried that the Lakers will cut Meng Xu in this round of the series.

"Wait for now." Popovich also revealed some helplessness in his tone. Although he has coached Meng Xu for two seasons, Popovich has never made a targeted response to Meng Xu's free throw difference. Training is similar to Meng Xu's idea. Last season, Meng Xu averaged just over 1 free throw per game. Although this season has increased a lot, it has only 3 free throws just now, so Popovich didn't take it seriously. But it happened to be his own mistake, but he was caught by his teacher's teacher in the semifinals. Although the Spurs still eliminated the Mavericks, it left a fatal hidden danger in the series between the Spurs and the Lakers.

"Is it about to start?" After 8 minutes of the fourth quarter, Meng Xu scored a 3-pointer to help the Spurs lead the Lakers by 4 points. After Kobe's mid-range shot was missed by Meng Xu's interference, In the next round, Rick Fox fouled Meng Xu without hesitation just after Meng Xu dribbled the ball. After Rick Fox fouled Meng Xu, the entire Alamo Stadium immediately I think of the boos all over the sky, just like the tsunami-like boos of Staples when the Spurs cut O'Neal at the Lakers' home court last season.

"The climax of this game is finally coming." Seeing that the Lakers started fouling Meng Xu with 4 minutes left in the game, Magic Johnson also said with great interest. It seems that this game will really happen. The scene where the two teams cut each other.

"Sigh." The magician's partner, Michaels, after seeing the scene on the field, seemed to have thought of what might happen in this round of the series, shook his head, and sighed softly.

And David Stern in the box dropped the cigar in his hand to the ground after seeing the Lakers start to chop Meng Xu, and stared at the Lakers Chairman Old Bass not far away from him with an unfriendly expression.And the Spurs chairman Peter Holt is finally relaxed a lot now. As long as the Lakers attack Meng Xu first, it will be a matter of course for the Spurs to cut O'Neal in the next game. With the Lakers and old Buss in front Come on, even David Stern can't do anything to himself. If he wants to wear small shoes, he should wear them for the Lakers first.

"Meng, come on, relax, we will win." When Meng Xu walked to the free throw line, Duncan was the first to come over and high-five Meng Xu, encouraging and cheering Meng Xu up. At the same time, he also hoped that Meng Xu would not be nervous. In the game against the Mavericks, half of the free throws were missed, and the Spurs are still leading by 4 points. The hope of winning is still great.

"Yeah." Meng Xu nodded after high-fiving Duncan, slapped the basketball three times, and then grabbed the basketball with his left hand, with a relaxed expression on his face.

"Anna bless me." After Meng Xu said a word silently in his heart, he began to touch his face with his right hand continuously. After touching it 4 times in a row, he finally put his right hand on the basketball and made a very standard gesture. shooting position.

"Ervin, is this Jeff Hornacek's free throw posture?" Seeing Meng Xu's special free throw prelude, Michaels immediately thought of Jazz legend Jeff Hornacek, Jeff ?When Hornacek first entered the league, free throws were only average, but since Jeff Hornacek invented this exclusive action of touching his face before free throws, Jeff Hornacek's The free throw rate has risen in a straight line. In the following career, it has never been lower than 85%. In the season before his retirement, Jeff Hornacek's free throw rate was even as high as 95%. The record of 67 consecutive free throws is still maintained by Jeff Hornacek.

"It looks similar, but it's not the same. Jeff Hornacek usually touches his face only once, but Meng Xu touches it four times in a row. I don't know where Meng learned this free throw method. "The scene on the court now, Magic Johnson is also at a loss.

"Boy, are you praying? It's useless, hahahaha." Standing on the edge of the paint, O'Neal, who was waiting for a rebound, was also directed at Meng Xu after seeing Meng Xu's weird free throw posture. said sarcastically.

"It's useful or not, you'll know soon, I hope you don't cry and call your mother next time." Meng Xu shot back the basketball in his hand after saying something to O'Neill.With my current free throw attributes and the addition of narrow free throws, it is still possible to maintain a shooting rate of more than 80%, and this is enough. As long as my free throw shooting rate is higher than that of O'Neal, even if the next two teams cut each other, It's still the Spurs to win.

　Thank you for the two monthly passes of Nirvana of Samsara, thank you.

　　Thanks to Emperor Kangxi for the monthly ticket at the starting point, thank you.

　　Thank you for the monthly ticket with a half-bend smile, thank you.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)